Former England Rugby star Luther Burrell has opened up on his struggles with racism at his former club, Newcastle Falcons.
An independent investigation conducted by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) last eight months and it revealed that Burrell was a victim of racial abuse at Newcastle.
In June 2022, Burrell raised his voice to complain about an alleged racist message in a WhatsApp group that has Premiership players as members.
The Jamaican descent said he was subjected to comments about slavery and bananas and a part of the investigation confirmed that Burrell was a victim of inappropriate and harsh words whenever there is banter between players which the club – Newcastle Falcons is yet to consider.
The RFU concluded its report by stating that it would not be taking disciplinary steps, however, Burrell disclosed how he battled with his mental health and has committed himself to play a part in the progress of the sport.
“I was supposed to be a team-mate to this player, this character,” Burrell told Sky Sports. “I’m supposed to look after him on the field, go to war with him every weekend.
“It’s what was categorised as ‘banter’, calling me a slave, saying I need sun cream on my wrists and ankles where my ‘shackles’ were. We’re going back hundreds of years here… It’s absolutely ridiculous.
“This is the sort of stuff that needs to be eradicated. It’s abhorrent, horrendous.”
The 35-year-old was left amazed by the silence of Newcastle Falcons, with only two people from the club reaching out to him after detailing his racism experience.
He continued: “I’ve had one player and one staff member reach out to me out of about 50. Take what you will from that.
“It took six and a half months for the owner of the club to come forward and have a meeting with me, sit down man to man and have a chat about what’s going on. It’s disappointing.
“I’m not sure why it took so long but, look, we finally got there and had a good discussion about moving forward and implementing senior roles within the team and backroom staff.
“Do people need to be educated? I don’t think they do. Of course you can start with an educational point of view, but these are all smart lads, adults. In modern society, they probably change their outlook the minute they step into a different place of work that is not rugby or sport.”
